The barrels are coated with old-fashioned coal tar in the months leading up to the event, and then on the night they are lit outside a selection of the pubs located in the town. As the flames begin to pour out of the sides they are lifted up onto the shoulders of local participants, and carried onto the next stop. The final barrel is then carried to the square as the clock strikes midnight.

A man tries to get to grips with a burning barrel in the street, as others look on. PA-2281609

The most likely explanation for this tradition is as a way of exorcising evil spirits in the town, a pagan ritual using the cleansing flame and the camaraderie of the townsfolk to keep the karma high and the town free from dark forces.